When you can't walk
by wolfgirlalways
Summary: John Sheppard is walking through the desert. When he can no longer walk he relies on the strength of his team. Shep-Whump and team support. Title and quote from Firefly


When you can't walk

Thud…. Thud…..Thud…..

The pounding of his feet on the soft sand caused agony in his head.

Thud…Thud…Thud….

The relentless sun beat down on his body. The heat sucking any moisture from his body.

Thud…Thud…..Thud…..

There was no thought no direction only an endless repetition of shuffling feet.

Thud….Thus…

The effort to take even another step was suddenly almost to much….

Then a cool hand brushed his forehead….

"_please John do not give up, we are coming." _

The heart of the team

Teyla. The diplomat. The natural born leader. . The one who charmed as easily as she fought.

Strength and grace. As a native of this galaxy she had, at first been a valued asset. A wealth of information and contacts in those first few months of fighting in the war. Then she had become more. A friend, a confidant, teammate and a comrade.

She was the strongest woman he knew. She faced danger head on and fought with courage and honor but when she came home she was a mother. She was a woman who could fill two roles with strength and courage and fill them well.

With thoughts of her in his mind a new courage filled his steps. A courage to overcome all obstacles. And he walked again.

_**When you can't run you walk.**_

But the determination faded with hours of walking.

Thud…..Thud….Thud….

Again he felt his waning strength failing him.

This time it was a quick squeeze on his shoulder.

"_Aw. C'mon Sheppard. Your not going to let a little thing like the sun stop you."_

The brains of the team.

Rodney. The one who solved problems.

He could do anything, not that John would tell him that.

He had almost been a thorn in John's side with his constant whining and never ending talking. But over the time John had met the real man behind the aloof arrogance. The man that had never had a _real _friend. The man that had never learned to care. But he could and did. The real Rodney hid himself behind words and brains so that he couldn't be hurt.

John could understand that given what his childhood must have been like. Separated from peers by brains never having the chance to make friends. Not understood by teachers or parents. A child prodigy.

But he had slowly become friends with his team.

He made up for his faults with sheer determination. Once he started something he saw it through.

So John continued walking, determination to still he steps.

**When you can't walk you crawl.**

But after more time in the glaring sun, the determination faded.

Thud….Thud….Thud…

His head pounded. A thousand hammers sounds with ever step.

Thud…..Thud…Thud

This time it was a light punch to his arm.

"_Don't quit now Sheppard. Your to strong for that."_

The muscle of the team.

Ronon had been distant and untrusting. But he had warmed up to the team and now saw them as family. He trusted. And John new how hard the trust must have been to give after seven years a runner. It warmed John to be so highly trusted by one whose trust meant so much.

Ronon would fight and die for anyone. He had even given himself up to save the team once. Rodney, with all his annoyance was still considered a friend to the big Satedan.

John thought of the endless strength of five years of running.

Strength filled his faltering steps. And once again he walked.

But the sun beat away his strength again after another hour.

"_Is this who you are?"_

This time is was his own voice that questioned.

The leader.

He had to get back to Atlantis. It was his duty. He was honor bound to return to lead a war he himself had started. He owed it to the people of Atlantis and to the people of Pegasus Galaxy to win the war. He could not abandon them now because of a little sun.

His sense of honor pushed him through another couple grueling hours.

However even that could only last so long.

He could no longer see anything to blinding glare from white sand blinding him. He couldn't feel his feet. He was sure the soles had been worn thin. He could feel the searing heat from the sand. His skin was a blaze of burning agony. The sun tearing wholes in the SPF 100 Rodney had made everyone wear. The shirt on his head felt like it weighted a thousand pounds his back, bare to the sun was fried. He had long removed it form his back to wrap it around his head. John knew the basics of surviving in the desert. His time in Afghanistan had seen to that.

Spent of every ounce of energy and will power John Sheppard fell to his knees. Never one to give up he crawled as far as he could before sinking into the cool darkness of unconsciousness.

The DHD mere feet from the unconscious man rose in lone splendor. Thirty or so feet away the gate rose majestically from the white sand it's shadow just touching the unconscious man's reaching finger tips.

**When you can't crawl you find someone to carry you.**

It was the voices and the movement. He noticed the absence of heat and the cool air floating over his back.

"He sure is taking his time." A whiny voice floated through. The corners of John's mouth twitched upwards.

"He has been given the 'good drugs'" A woman's voice said slightly amused yet soft as if not to wake him. "His burns where quite severe."

The third presence John did not hear. He felt the watching. The waiting.

He realized with some surprise that he was on his stomach and his back, form waist up was open to the air.

"Hey guys." He managed his voice a croak.

"John." Teyla said her voice hushed.

"How are you feeling?" Rodney's voice asked.

"Floaty." John said frowning. "How bad?"

"You have a world class sunburn." Rodney said lowering himself to look his friend in the eye. "You were severely dehydrated and Keller had been working her butt off to get enough fluids into you." Rodney pointed at the IV bags that hung from the hook on his bed. "The back was the worst of it. You were face down in the sand when we found you. Shirts won't be comfortable for a few weeks yet."

John startled ot say something but was interrupted by a dry coughing. Teyla took Rodney's place by his face.

"Small sips John." She said holding the straw to his lips. He forced himself to obey thought the water was cool and tasted like heaven.

"Enough for the moment. We don't want to overload his system." Keller's voice instructed and John couldn't help the moan that escaped form parched lips as the straw was removed.

"Just wait a few minutes for the water to settle. Pass through the nausea." And even as she said it he felt it. The water reached his empty stomach and he felt it rolling inside him. After a few minutes of intense sweating John's stomach calmed once more.

"Alright a few more sips." Jen said this time it was she that lowered herself to his level and held the straw to his lips. John contained the moan when the straw was removed again.

"We have creams and ointments covering you back to help with the burns but we are leaving it open to the air for the next few days. We expect you to be pretty in and out of it for a while. Your in some extensive painkillers to dull the ache. Burns are serious and we'll be keeping you on you back to not irritate the skin." Keller said her voice in doctor mode. John

Relaxed and let his team watch his back until he was strong enough to do it for himself.

This time it was Ronon who offered him the straw. After a few sips John began to drift out as the painkillers swirled around in his head.

"Good to have you back buddie." Ronon's cheerful voice said.

Together he had it all. The Heart. The Brains. The Muscle. And John the leader bound them all together.

A/N the quote was said by a very wise man. Captain Malcolm Reynolds from Serenity A firefly class vessel. Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated.


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